As jiu-jitsu students, we’re often advised to study the way high-level grapplers play the game. With the wealth of talent currently inundating major competitions, you’ve got no shortage of athletes to choose from – but where to begin? Some coaches will tell you to pick an athlete whose body type matches your own, while others might suggest that you simply pick an athlete whose matches or instructionals you enjoy, so that doing off-mat “homework” feels like less of a chore.
There’s wisdom to both approaches. However, another great way to pick an athlete to watch is to find one whose game – and favorite techniques – most closely align with your own preferred grappling style.
While the following is by no means an exhaustive list of options, let’s take a look at some great choices to start with:
- If you’re an aspiring leglock wizard, you might want to watch Lachlan Giles.
While Gordon Ryan may be perhaps the best-known king of the leglock game, Lachlan Giles won hearts and minds in 2019 for heel hooking his way through the ADCC open weight division to claim a spot on the podium. In particular, if you’re a smaller grappler with giant-slaying dreams, Lachlan’s your man to watch.
Homework:
- Lachlan’s Open Weight Bronze Medal Performance, ADCC (2019)
- Lachlan Giles vs Haisam Rida, WLF China (2018)
- If you’re a lighter-weight grappler who nonetheless dreams of tormenting your opponents with devastating top pressure, you might want to watch Ffion Davies.
A former judoka, the UK’s first-ever ADCC and adult black belt IBJJF World Champion packs a ton of top pressure into a tiny frame. In her time on the mats, Ffion’s collected some spectacular wins, including two victories over otherwise seemingly unstoppable “lady GOAT” Bia Mesquita.
Homework:
- Ffion Davis vs Bia Mesquita, ADCC (2019)
- Ffion Davis vs Janaina Lebre, IBJJF Worlds Finals (2022)
- If you love layering unconventional submission traps on top of strong overall fundamentals, you might want to watch Elisabeth Clay.
Elisabeth Clay, an ADCC vet who recently became the No-Gi Pans double gold queen for the second year in a row, has turned heads for weaponizing her powerful range of motion to catch high-level opponents in tricky, rarely-seen submissions like the gogoplata.
Homework:
- Elisabeth Clay vs Maggie Grindatti, WNO (2020)
- Elisabeth Clay vs Kendall Reusing, IBJJF No-Gi Pans, Absolute Finals (2021)
- If you’re a former high school or college wrestler trying to figure out this whole jiu-jitsu thing, you might want to watch Nicky Rod.
Nicky Rod and his younger brother Jacob Rodriguez are true “wrestle-jitsu” aficionados. The elder Rodriguez brother originally earned the title of “black belt slayer” for using his competitive wrestling chops to cut a swathe through a field of far more experienced jiu-jitsu athletes during the early years of his career. He’s known for a particularly powerful bodylock pass, which we saw in action at ADCC 2022 when he ousted Felipe Pena from the finals.
Homework:
- Nicky Rod vs Felipe Pena, ADCC Seminfinals (2022)
- Nicky Rod vs Cyborg Abreu, ADCC Semifinals (2019)
- If you’re an aggressive guard passer who favors position over submission, you might want to watch Tye Ruotolo.
Tye and his twin Kade may only be nineteen, but they’ve quickly won over a major fanbase with their dynamic passing style, deadly D’Arce chokes, and easygoing charisma. Between the two, Tye in particular is known for settling into dominant positions and keeping up a steady pace between transitions that leaves very few openings for his opponents to attack.
Homework:
- Tye Ruotolo vs Garry Tonon, ONE 157 (2022)
- Tye Ruotolo vs William Tackett, Who’s Number One (2021)
- Tye Ruotolo vs Kade Ruotolo, IBJJF Brown Belt Worlds Finals (2021)
Extra Credit Reading:
- If you’re an aggressive guard passer who favors submission over position, you might want to watch Kade Ruotolo.
While similar to his twin in many respects, Kade’s game differs from Tye’s in a few key ways: he’s a little more willing to gamble on risky moves than Tye, and doesn’t mind exposing himself to attack opportunities if it gives him the chance to counter. It’s a ballsy style that earned him ADCC gold this year as the youngest champion in the tournament’s history.
Homework:
- Kade Ruotolo vs Mica Galvão, ADCC Finals (2022)
- Kade Ruotlo vs Roberto Jimenez, ADCC (2022)
Extra Credit Reading:
- INTERVIEW: Kade Ruotolo Talks ADCC, Longtime Rivalries, and Upcoming Takedown War With Russian Sambo Champ
- If you’ve got a naturally acrobatic grappling style, you might want to watch Renato Canuto.
Maybe you’re a former gymnast. Maybe you went through a parkour phase as a teen. Or maybe you just really, really want to be the next Renato Canuto. Famous for his backflip pass, Renato combines playfully well-honed athleticism with aggressive forward pressure that leaves next to no room for stalling.
Homework:
- Renato Canuto vs Levi Jones-Leary, IBJJF Worlds (2022)
- Renato Canuto vs Jake Shields, Third Coast Grappling (2021)
- Renato Canuto Rolling at Legion Jiu-Jitsu
Extra Credit Reading:
- If everyone at your gym bemoans the trials and tribulations of passing your extremely frustrating guard, you might want to watch Mikey Musumeci.
Multiple-time gold medalist at the IBJJF majors, and winner of ONE Championship’s first ever submission grappling belt, “Darth Rigatoni” has one of the deadliest guards in the game. If you’re already great at guard retention, take your game a step further by studying Mikey’s tried-and-true chains of attack from the bottom position.
Homework:
- Mikey Musumeci vs Masakazu Imanari, ONE 156 (2022)
- Mikey Musumeci vs Bruno Malfacine, IBJJF Worlds Finals (2021)
- Mikey Musumeci vs Marcelo Cohen, WNO (2021)
Extra Credit Reading:
- INTERVIEW: Catching Up With Mikey Musumeci: “Darth Rigatoni” Reflects on Cleber Sousa Trilogy, Teases Potential Mighty Mouse Matchup
- INTERVIEW: Mikey Musumeci Talks Inaugural ONE Grappling Belt, Professionalizing BJJ, and His Pick for ADCC -66kg Champ
- If you like to pressure your opponents with relentless submission hunting from split-second openings, you might want to watch Gezary Matuda.
A three-time IBJJF world champion at black belt, Gezary Matuda is equally known for a smooth, elegantly flowing jiu-jitsu style and lighting-fast submission attacks off the smallest openings. She’s got a particularly famous armbar – which jiu-jitsu legend Michelle Nicolini unfortunately discovered the hard way back in 2015 – but Ge can attack effectively from anywhere, and isn’t afraid to push the pace, especially if down on points.
Homework:
- Gezary Matuda vs Michelle Nicolini, Polaris Pro 2 (2015)
- Gezary Matuda vs Kristina Barlaan, IBJJF Worlds Finals (2016)
- Gezary Matuda Rolling at American Top Team
Extra Credit Reading:
